GB2244912A - Attaché case/seat - Google Patents

Abstract

A case (Figure 1) has a recess in its base defined by a skirt (3) which is a continuation of the main side wall (3<1>) of the case body, the recess accommodating a folded X-frame leg assembly (5) which is hinged (at 9) to the body. In one construction (Figures 1 to 7) a cover (18, 19) is supported on the leg assembly and extends across the leg assembly in the folded condition of the leg assembly, to provide a neat appearance. In a second construction (Figure 8) the cover is detachable and padded for use as a cushion, and in a third construction (Figure 9) the cover is provided by two flaps hinged to the body, and overlapping each other in the closed condition of the cover. <IMAGE>

Description

CASES SUCH AS AN ATTACH CASE This invention relates to cases and particularly, but not exclusively, to an attach case provided with folding legs to enable the case to be used as a seat.

Trains are often overcrowded and I have realised that it would be helpful to provide an attach case with folding legs such that the case can be used as a seat. It is, however, desirable that the case with legs folded should be of pleasing appearance.

According to the invention a case comprises a generally rectangular body, the body having an open top closable by a hinged lid, and a base, legs articulated to the body or lid and so arranged as to be foldable from an extended condition in which the legs can support the case in a horizontal position above the ground, to a folded condition in which the legs closely fit the body or lid, and a cover adapted to extend across the folded legs.

Preferably the base of the body is provided with one or more recesses in its underside to receive the legs in the folded condition, the cover being adapted to extend across the recess or recesses.

The base is preferably provided with a peripheral flange which is flush with the side-walls of the remainder of the body so as to define a skirt of a depth at least equal to the corresponding dimension of the folded legs, to help to hide the legs in the folded condition, the cover extending substantially across the skirt to join opposite sides of the skirt, thereby to provide a neat appearance during carrying of the case.

The cover may be detachable and may be padded to act as a cushlon.

Preferably, however, the cover is permanently attached to the body.

Preferably the cover is hinged to the body, conveniently by a hinge made from the material of the cover, such as a fabric or leather hinge.

The cover may be attached to at least one of the legs and the arrangement is preferably then such that the cover is brought to its extended condition by said one leg as that leg is brought to a folded condition.

The legs are conveniently arranged as two X-frames, the crossed members of each frame being pivotally connected together, corresponding members of the two X-frames being rigidly connected by transverse braces.

In one embodiment the cover is carried by the upper portion of one corresponding pair of the crossed members and by the lower portion of the other corresponding pair of crossed members such that the cover is hinged adjacent to the common pivotal axis of the X-frames.

In another embodiment the cover comprises two panels which overlap in the extended condition of the cover.

An attach case and modification thereof all in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the case with the legs in an extended condition, Figure 2 is an end view looking from the right in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an under-plan view, looking in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the case with the legs extended, Figure 5 is a perspective view, looking from below, of the case with the legs in the folded condition, Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 5 but showing the legs in a partially unfolded condition, Figure 7 is a similar view to that of Figure 5 but showing the legs in the fully extended condition, Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 but of a modification, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a further modification showing the legs in a fully folded condition but with cover flaps open.

The attach case of Figures 1 to 7 comprises a padded top 1 which is hinged in conventional manner to a rectangular case body 11 and can be locked in the closed condition by a pair of conventional locking catches 2. The base of the body is surrounded by a peripheral flange 3 which is flush with the body side-walls 31 and defines a rectangular downwardly-directed skirt bounding a rectangular recess which receives the folded leg assembly 5 in the fully folded condition thereof.

The side-walls 31 and flange 3 can be formed as an integral plastics moulding, or other rigid materials may be employed, and a continuous covering of sheet material such as vinyl sheet may be applied. The overall appearance is of an attach case with a slightly deeper side-wall than usual.

The leg assembly 5 comprises a pair of parallel X-frames, pivotally connected together about a common pivotal axis by a pair of suitable pivot pins 6, the corresponding legs of the X-frames being rigidly connected together by transverse cross members 7.

One pair of legs 12, 13 is disposed transversely outwards of the other pair of legs 14, 15 to enable the leg assembly 5 to fold flat in the fully folded condition, in which the legs 12 to 15 extend parallel to one another within the recess defined by flange 3.

The upper left hand ends, in Figure 1, of the legs 12, 13 are hinged to the body by way of hinges 9 connected to the adjacent cross member 7 linking legs 12, 13. The upper right hand ends, in Figure 2, of the other legs 14, 15 are releasably securable to the body by means of a suitable catch such as turn-buckle 4 which engages with the cross member 7 connecting those ends of legs 14, 15.

As indicated in Figure 1, but omitted from the other Figures, suitable springs such as coiled tension springs 16, 17 are preferably provided to bias the legs towards the fully folded condition, to assist in folding the legs into the body 11.

In order to provide a particularly neat appearance of the case when the legs are in the fully folded condition, as in Figure 5, a continuous cover sheet 11 of flexible vinyl material is carried by the leg assembly 5, the arrangement being such that the sheet 11 completely covers the recess in the body 11 when the legs are fully folded as in Figure 5.

The cover is supported on two rectangular sheets 18, 19 of rigid material, such as hardboard. Sheet 19 is secured to legs 12, 13 and extends transversely across legs 12, 13 between the opposed outer edges of those legs, and longitudinally from adjacent to the pivots 6 to a position close to the pivoted upper ends of legs 12, 13.

Sheet 18 is secured to the lower portions of legs 14, 15 and extends longitudinally from adjacent to the pivots 6 to the lower ends of legs 14, 15.

The transverse width of sheet 18 is, however, made the same as that of the sheet 19 such that when the legs are fully folded, and the sheets 18, 19 are coplanar, they form a substantially continuous support for the cover sheet 11. Thus, as shown in Figure 7, the sheet 18 has respective marginal portions 20 which overlap the legs 14, 15. Figures 5, 6 and 7 taken in turn show the sequence for opening the legs, the arrows indicating the movement of the legs 14, 15.

The cover 11 extends right across sheets 18, 19, is adhesively secured thereto, and is attached at one end 21 to the body 11, where it also covers hinges 9.

The flexible cover 11 contains integral transverse hinge lines 22, 23 respectively between the end 21 and the portion attached to sheet 19, and between that latter portion and the portion attached to sheet 18. When the legs are fully folded it is arranged that the cover 11 is stretched across the hinge lines 22, 23 and so a smooth continuous surface is provided by the cover 11, as shown in Figure 5.

The catch 4 also acts to retain sheet 18, and therefore the leg assembly, in the fully folded condition. The usual handle 10 is provided on the side-wall 31 of the body.

In the illustrated construction the legs 12 to 15 and transverse members 7 are of wood, but it will be appreciated that any suitable materials may be employed.

Figure 8 shows a modification in which the cover 11 is mounted on a single rectangular board 24 and is completely detachable from the body 11. The leg assembly can be the same as in Figures 1 to 7.

The inside surface of the board 24 is padded, not shown, to enable the cover unit 11, 24 when detached to be placed on the top of the case as a cushlon.

The cover unit 11, 24 is provided with four flexible tabs 25 carrying respective press-stud parts 26 to engage with complementary 31 press-stud parts on the lower part of side-walls 31, , to retain the cover unit 11, 24 in position when the legs are fully folded.

In the modification of Figure 8 the legs can be of tubular metal and of inverted U-shape. This can enable the padding on the inside of board 24 to be received between the folded legs in the folded condition.

Figure 9 shows a further modification in which the cover comprises first and second cover panels 27, 28 which are respectively hinged along lines 29, 30 respectively to the opposed margins of skirt 3, conveniently by the outer fabric or leather covering of panels 27, 28. The panels 27, 28 can be constructed from fabric or leather covered boards.

The second panel 28 is adapted to overlap with the first panel 27 when the panels are in the closed textended) condition, whereby the appearance of second panel 28 is similar to that of a cover flap on a briefcase. As with such a briefcase cover flap, the second panel 28 can assist in keeping rain out of the case, that is, out of the recess in which the folded legs 5 are housed when the case is being carried.

The case comprises suitable fastening means to hold the cover panels 27 overlapped and closely fitting the case body when the legs are folded. In Figure 9 the fastening means is shown as pairs of complementary strips 29, 30 of VELCRO (trade mark) material on opposed margins of skirt 3 and on inner face 31 of first panel 27, together with further complementary strips 32 of VELCRO (TM) on the co-operating faces of panels 27, 28. The strip 32 is on the opposite face of panel 27 to face 31, and strip 33 is on the inside face of panel 28.

A ring pull 34 is provided on the first panel 31 to enable the panels to be hinged open simultaneously simply by pulling on ring The dimensions of the legs and of panel 31 are preferably such that the panel 31 does not touch the ground when the case is standing with unfolded legs.

Claims (11)

1. A case comprising a generally rectangular body, the body having an open top closable by a hinged lid, and a base, legs articulated to the body or lid and so arranged as to be foldable from an extended condition in which the legs can support the case in a horizontal position above the ground, to a folded condition in which the legs closely fit the body or lid, and a cover adapted to extend across the folded legs.

2. A case as claimed in claim 1 in which the base of the body is provided with one or more recesses in its underside to receive the legs in the folded condition, the cover being adapted to extend across the recess or recesses.

3. A case as claimed in claim 2 in which the base is provided with a peripheral flange which is flush with the side-walls of the remainder of the body so as to define a skirt of a depth at least equal to the corresponding dimension of the folded legs, to help to hide the legs in the folded condition, the cover extending substantially across the skirt to join opposite sides of the skirt.

4. A case as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the cover is permanently attached to the body.

5. A case as claimed in claim 4 in which the cover is hinged to the body.

6. A case as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 in which the cover is attached to at least one of the legs and the arrangement Is such that the cover is brought to its extended condition by said one leg as that leg Is brought to a folded condition.

7. A case as claimed in claim 5 in which the cover comprises two panels which overlap in the extended condition of the cover, the panels each being hinged to the body.

8. A case as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the legs are arranged as two X-frames, the crossed members of each frame being pivotally connected together, corresponding members of the two X-frames being rigidly connected by transverse braces.

9. A case substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A case as claimed in claim 9 but modified substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A case as claimed in claim 9 but modified substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.